Breaking Bad: Every Major Death Ranked

17. Andrea Cantillo

Breaking Bad is replete with grim, depressing moments across its five seasons, but few are as outright bleak as the murder of single mother and Jesse Pinkman love interest Andrea Cantillo. This is true both on a story level and a meta one - the character deserved better than this.

In-story, of course, it’s a heartbreaking moment. Though she’s not on screen a great deal, we see Andrea go through a lot, overcoming drug addiction, worrying for her son’s health (who is of course poisoned by Walter in Season Four), and attempting to rebuild her life.

Then, she’s shot in the head by Todd, used as a pawn to ensure that the captive Jesse continues to cook meth lest the Nazi enforcer returns for Andrea’s young son.

It’s a sorry ending for the character on screen and off. She never really gets the chance to exist outside of Jesse, and for a show short on compelling female characters, it’s not great that one of the least corrupt is given such a cold, swift ending.